Hurricane workshop to prepare residents for stormy weather

CORTNEY MARTIN

Published
7:00 pm CDT, Saturday, May 4, 2002

The workshop is scheduled to take place from 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. at the Pasadena Convention Center and will present a wide variety of topics related to the hurricane season. Tropical Storm Allison's effects will be among the major areas of discussion, as this year's theme for the event is "Allison: Inland Flood Odyssey."

"Tropical Storm Allison was such a big event that it affected so many people in our area, and it exemplifies what a huge problem inland flooding really is," said Gene Hafele, learning and coordination meteorologist for the Houston/Galveston National Weather Service.

According to Hafele, more lives have been claimed by inland flooding than any other aspect of tropical storms for the past 30 years. Allison alone resulted in 22 lost lives and $5 billion in damages to Harris County, making it the deadliest and costliest tropical storm ever to hit the United States.

The workshop's organizers aim to educate the public about the dangers of inland flooding by using Allison as an example. The event will be divided into several short sessions, each one covering a different aspect of hurricane and flood preparation.

Among the guest speakers at the workshop will be Bill Read, of the Houston/Galveston National Weather Service, who will be speaking primarily about Tropical Storm Allison and its aftermath.

Media coverage of the flood will also be a topic of discussion, when Cecilia Sinclair, chief meteorologist for KRIV Fox-26, speaks about the problems the media faced in handling Allison.

"Allison caused so much damage that people are still recovering. Many of those who were affected are still working on home repairs or waiting for their homes to be bought out," Hafele said.

David Passey, of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, will be on hand to inform those at the workshop just who is in the flood plain and what precautions they can take to protect themselves and their homes.

The workshop will include three breakout sessions, as well, each covering a different issue related to flood damages. One will cover flood preparedness, while the others will spotlight flood repairs and mold control and the importance of insurance.

Hafele said that those who attend the workshop will also give visitors plenty of opportunities to learn about products and services related to weather protection. A number of vendors, from government agencies to commercial service providers, will showcase their offerings.

"The vendors will be able to provide information and different types of equipment that can help people protect homes or businesses against damages from the weather," Hafele said.

Those who work in emergency response, safety coordinators and business owners, Hafele said, will find the workshop especially helpful. However, the event is open to the public and free of charge, and Hafele believes that everyone can benefit from the workshop in some way.